River Stone

Age range 12+

We are not special. We are just survivors. 

Pandora wants so much more than what her village can provide. When disaster comes to the River People, Pan has the opportunity to become their saviour and escape her inevitable pairing with life-long friend Matthew. She wants to make her own choices. Deep in her soul, she believes there is something more out there, beyond the boundaries, especially since she encountered the hunter of the Mountain People.

A story of confused love, difficult friendships and clumsy attempts at heroism, Pan's fight for her village's survival will bring her into contact with a whole new world, where the truth about the past will have terrifying reverberations for her people's future survival.

'A fantastic story for our times. Thilling. Chilling.' — Sean Williams

'An intelligent dystopian drama that is as addictive as it is thought provoking.' — Winnie Salamon, author of Facetime and Pretty Girls Don't Eat

'This is a chilling, thrilling and addictive novel. It's one of those books that forces you to look at yourself as you connect with the characters. You'll wonder what you'd do in similar circumstances, about your own future, about our planet's future...River Stone will send chills down your spine and have you reading just one more chapter late into the night. It's thought provoking and imaginative and filled to the brim with amazing and varied characters that see the world differently, providing readers with many different perspectives on the topics explored through the novel. If you like dystopian stories that challenge ideas and make you think, I highly recommend River Stone.' — Shaye Wardrop, Kids' Book Review

'River Stone is a gripping Young Adult dystopia with a unique flavour, filling the genre's bones with its vibrant characters, relentless storytelling and a phenomenal world.' — Joe Murray, Readings

'River Stone is the first book in The Burning Days and is a great lead into the series. Rachel Hennessy has created an appealing cast of characters and left several threads to be explored in the next book.' — Jeffery E Doherty, Buzz Words Magazine